THE EHRETIA FAMILY 



EHRETIACEiE Schrader 



HIS family consists of about 13 genera, with probably 375 species of 

 trees or shrubs of the warmer portions of both hemispheres. In the 

 tropics some of them are valuable as timber trees; a few produce edible 

 fruits and most of them are highly ornamental. In addition to the 

 arborescent genera, one other genus, with a single species, Coldenia canescens de 

 Candolle, a low, almost herbaceous plant, occurs on our Mexican border. By 

 some authorities this family is classed as a drupaceous-fruited section of the well- 

 known Borage family. 



The EhretiacejE have mostly alternate, usually entire, simple leaves without 

 stipules. The flowers are perfect and regular, in compound cymes; the calyx is 

 of 5 or fewer, partly united persistent sepals ; the corolla has 5, rarely 4 or 6, partly 

 united deciduous petals or spreading lobes; the stamens are joined to the base of 

 the coroUa, of the same number and alternate with its lobes; their filaments are 

 often united at the base; the anthers are introrse; the ovary is 2- to 4-celled or i- 

 celled, some of the partitions being imperfect; ovules i or 2 in each cavity; the 

 styles are 2, distinct or partly imited, or 4 and united by pairs. The fruit is dru- 

 paceous, its stone having a variable number of seeds, with or without endosperm. 

 The genera containing our arborescent species are: 



Fruit more or less enclosed in the enlarged calyx; styles 4, united by pairs. i. Cordia. 



Fruit not enclosed in the calyx; styles 2, more or less imited. 



Calyx almost closed, valvately 2- to 5-cleft at the apex; fruit of 2 to 4, i-seeded 

 nutlets. 2. Bourreria. 



Calyx of 5, slightly united sepals; fruit of two 2-seeded nutlets. 3. Ehretia. 



I. THE CORDIAS 



GENUS CORDIA [PLUMIER] LINN^US 



ORDIA comprises about 200 species of trees, shrubs or vines, indigenous 

 to the warmer regions of both hemispheres, but most abimdant in 

 the American tropics. Four species occur in our area, 2 of which are 

 evergreen trees. 



The leaves are alternate, usually rough hairy and stalked. The flowers are 

 perfect or polygamous, in terminal, scorpioid cymes or dense spikes or heads, 

 mostly without bracts; the calyx is tubular or bell-shaped, often prominently 

 ribbed, 3- to 5-lobed and accrescent, sometimes entirely enclosing the fruit; the 



818 



